The drug control office of Ernakulam in Kerala conducted a raid at the Kochi branch office and godown of a Chennai-based chain marketing company, K--Link Healthcare India Pvt Ltd, and seized huge quantities of unlicensed ayurvedic and herbal products for violating the rules of Drugs & Cosmetics Act.

According to drug control office, the company has been claiming that their products would increase potency and memory of the patients besides curing Alzhimer's disease.

Many of the seized drugs are imported from Malaysia for which the drug authorities could not find any valid licence from the company office.

Both the drug controllers of Ayurveda and Allopathy have initiated cases against the company for directly circulating the medicines in the state without license and in violation of other rules, said Revi S Menon, ADC of Eranakulam.

According to the drug control officials, K—Link has been circulating ayurvedic, herbal, nutraceuticals and herbal products throughout the state by their agents who directly approach the people in their residences with promotional materials including notices and brochures..

The ayurvedic drug inspector of Ernakulam, C Y John, said the company was circulating an ayurvedic product namely, K—Vigo, which has a license to sell in the state. But the company has been promoting the product claiming the property to increase the potency of men and women. A case has been thus filed for violation of Drugs and Magic Remedies (objectionable advertisement) Act against the company. The Drugs and Magic Remedies (objectionable advertisement) Act clearly specifies the prohibition of advertisement for certain drugs, especially in the category of drugs described as aphrodisiac.

Whereas another product namely, K—Sage Plus, has no license, said ADC Revi Menon. He said K—Sage Plus is neither ayurvedic nor allopathy, but the company claims it is a herbal product.

Speaking to Pharmabiz, the ADC said the company has given publicity for K—Sage Plus stating that it would increase memory and cure Alzheimer’s disease. The department has written to the CDSCO office in Chennai to verify the company’s licence.

When contacted, general manager of K—Link Healthcare in Chennai, Hari Sevak Sarma said he got all the valid documents for import of the medicine from Malaysia. According to him the company has been selling the products in Kerala for the last seven years and has two more offices in India, one in Kolkota and another in Patna.

He said that K—Vigo is an ayurvedic product which is manufactured by Welex Lab, Maharashtra which got best export award from Government of India.

To another query, Sarma said that he would recall the promoting materials of the products as he did know the rules and regulations of Drugs & Cosmetics Act. About the circulation of the product he said, he would approach the drug authorities for what to do further.